Firecracker sales began today on O'ahu amid predictions fewer people will use them this New Year's Eve than last.

As of the close of business Monday, the city had issued only 124 permits to individuals to purchase firecrackers. Residents have until Saturday to purchase the $25 permits at satellite city halls, allowing them to buy up to 5,000 firecrackers from local licensed retailers.

A total of 6,427 permits were sold by the city last year, a few of them for Chinese New Year observations.

Midnight public fireworks displays are also planned around O'ahu on New Year's Eve: